March 29, 2024

Negro Leagues Game of the Day on This Date in 1928 (May 13th)

May 13, 2020 by · Leave a Comment 

Sunday, May 13th – The Hilldale Club, technically withdrawn from the ECL but still playing most of their ECL scheduled dates, visit the New York Lincoln Giants at the Catholic Protectory Oval for a Sunday doubleheader. Game 1 turns out to be a great one.

Here are the starting lineups for game #1:

Hilldale Club
1. Jake Stephens, SS
2. Frank Warfield, 2B
3. Oscar Charleston, CF
4. Biz Mackey, C
5. Walter Cannady, 1B
6. Clint Thomas, LF
7. Judy Johnson, 3B
8. Otto Briggs, RF
9. Phil Cockrell, P

New York Lincoln Giants
1. Will Gray, CF
2. Charles Mason, RF
3. George Carr, 1B
4. Bill Riggins, 3B
5. George Scales, SS
6. Charlie Spearman, C
7. John Henry Lloyd, 2B
8. Nip Winters, P
9. Connie Rector, LF

Fats Jenkins is not playing in the double header for New York, so normally pitcher Connie Rector is in left field in game 1. It’s a cold day, with high winds making fielding fly balls difficult. Veteran Phil Cockrell, who started his ‘major league’ play with the Lincoln Giants back in 1917, is opposed by Nip Winters, who had been with Hilldale since the ECL founding in 1928.

In the first, Frank Warfield singled with one out, stole second, and came around to score on a single to left by Biz Mackey. With one out in the bottom of the inning, Charles Mason walked and George Carr followed with a home run over the right-centerfield bleachers. 2-1 New York after one.

In the second, Judy Johnson and Otto Briggs singled with one out, and P Phil Cockrell doubled to bring in Johnson and tie the game at 2. Nip Winters was able to get out of the inning without further damage. Charles Spearman led off the home half with a home run, then Pop Lloyd singled to center. P Nip Winters hit a grounder to 1B Walter Cannady, who booted it, with Lloyd going all the way to 3B. After a Connie Rector out, Will Gray hit back to the mound, and Phil Cockrell caught Lloyd in a rundown, but Judy Johnson dropped a throw from C Biz Mackey, allowing Lloyd to score, and Winters to reach 3rd. Cockrell then picked Gray off first, but as he was caught in a rundown, Winters broke for the plate and scored. 5-2 New York.

To the top of the 3rd inning, where Hilldale came fighting back. Oscar Charleston tripled to right field. Biz Mackey fanned, but Cannady hit one into center field, and hustled it into a double, scoring Charleston. Clint Thomas singled to left, bringing in Cannady. Thomas stole second, and scored on Judy Johnson’s hard grounder past 3B Bill Riggins. Now 5-5 into the bottom the 3rd, George Scales walked on four pitches, and then with two outs, P Nip Winters homered over the right centerfield bleachers. 7-5 New York.

The offenses finally cooled down, until the bottom of the 7th, when Bill Riggins homered over the center field fence (only about 300 feet away), making the score 8-5 New York. However, in the top of the 9th, Hilldale came back. With one out, Oscar Charleston and Biz Mackey both singled. Walter Cannady snuck a single just off the glove of 2B Lloyd, sending Charleston home and Mackey to 3rd, with Cannady taking 2nd on the throw. Clint Thomas grounded out, scoring Mackey, making it 8-7, and sending Cannady to third. With the tying run at third, Judy Johnson grounded out to 2B Lloyd to end the game at 8-7 New York.



NOTES: In a winning complete game effort, Phil Cockrell gave up 7 runs, 15 hits, with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks. Nip Winters in his 8 innings gave up 8 runs (7 earned), 10 hits (4 home runs), 4 strikeouts and 6 walks. The hitting stars were Charlie Spearman (2-4, 2B, HR, 2 runs scored) and Charles Mason (2-3, double, walk, run scored) for New York, and Biz Mackey (4 for 5, double, run scored, RBI) for Hildale.

It was a tough injury day around the NNL for player-managers, as Dave Malarcher fractured a bone in his shoulder for Chicago vs. Detroit in their second game, and Birmingham’s Poindexter Williams broken his leg sliding into second vs. Memphis. Malarcher would miss 37 games, with George Harney taking his place a manager. Williams would turn over managing the Black Barons to Charles Wesley for the remainder of the year, although he did return to play starting August 14th.

Other ECL Scores:
Hilldale-12, New York Lincoln Giants-4 (Game 2, Protectory Oval)
Baltimore Black Sox-9, Philadelphia Tigers-1 (Game 1, Maryland Park)
Philadelphia Tigers-12, Baltimore Black Sox-8 (Game 2, Maryland Park)

NNL Scores:
Birmingham Black Barons-2, Memphis Red Sox-1 (Game 1, Lewis Park)
Memphis Red Sox-5, Birmingham Black Barons-0 (Game 2, Lewis Park)
Chicago American Giants-8, Detroit Stars-2 (Game 1, Schorling Park)
Detroit Stars-1, Chicago American Giants-0 (Game 2, Schorling Park, 7 innings)
Kansas City Monarchs-4, Cleveland Tigers-3 (Muehlebach Park)
St. Louis Stars-7, Cuban Stars (West)-6 (Stars Park)

Spearmans. Top: Charlie, Codie, Willie. Bottom: Hayse, Henry, Clyde

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